TOWN boss Mark Cooper slammed Brendan Malone for his decision making after the referee controversially awarded Port Vale a late penalty and denied Swindon their second win of the season.

Deep into injury time, with Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill stricken and in need of treatment, Jordan Williams thought he was returning the ball to the Vale corner taker so his teammate could receive treatment. Instead Malone penalised him for handball allowing Sam Foley to score the visitors’ second equaliser of the night.

It was harsh on Town who, after Fabien Robert had earned them an early lead, were pegged back initially by Uche Ikpeazu.

Anton Rodgers put Swindon in front again and looked to have won the game, before Malone’s intervention.

Post-match Cooper was careful with his words, but let his feelings be known on the referee’s handling of the late dramatics.

“It is a ridiculous decision and I think he’ll find himself refereeing in the Southern League next week,” the Town boss told the local media.

“In the spirit of the game the referee has cost us three points.

“All night the protocol seemed to be if somebody went down he blew up, or somebody kicked the ball out of play, we certainly did.

“(We) totally dominated and we should be stood here now with three points and second or third in the league.

“We’re a little bit raw at the minute because we played really well tonight; it is our best performance of the season.

“We are a man down defending the set piece, the referee can clearly see it, and he chooses to play on.”

Cooper did accept Williams had erred in handling the ball, but still thought Malone had time to correct his original decision and order the corner to be retaken.

“You have got to let the referee make the decision. You can’t punch the ball away in the box.

“You have got to wait for the referee to make the right decision.

“Having said that, once the handball has been committed you have got to see that we are a man down and blow for the re-take of the corner.”

The Adveritser were not permitted to attend Cooper's post-match press conference.

The article was ammended after viewing video which revealed it was Jordan Williams, not Jordan Turnbull, who had handled for the penalty.